Most parrots can enjoy a whole range of safe foods including:

• Pellets

• Seeds

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• And some cooked meat

However, there are some foods that are extremely toxic for parrots.

These toxic foods have the potential to poison or even kill your beloved pet.

Knowing exactly which foods are safe and which ones are toxic is a great way to ensure your parrot lives a long and healthy life.

Below is a full list of toxic/poisonous foods that you should never feed a parrot.

You’ll also find a list of foods that can only be fed in moderation.

Quick Navigation:

• Toxic Food List For Parrots (Never Feed)
• Foods To Feed In Moderation
• Consequences Of Feeding Toxic Foods To Parrots
• Conclusion
• Sources

Toxic Food List For Parrots (Never Feed)

The list of foods above should NEVER be fed to your parrot.

Foods To Feed In Moderation

There are some foods that aren’t too good for parrots but can still be fed in moderation without any problems.

Research on human foods and their effects on pet parrots is minimal and inconclusive.

For this reason, you’ll often find different feeding recommendations for different foods on different online sources.

Some sources suggest never feeding these foods, but more reliable sources say they’re safe in small amounts only.

Consequences Of Feeding Toxic Foods To Parrots

The consequences of feeding toxic food to a parrot can vary greatly.

It heavily depends on what the toxic food was and how much was consumed by the bird.

Some foods can cause stomach aches, some can cause sicknesses, and very few foods can even kill your parrot.

This is why it’s extremely important to know which foods are safe or toxic.

Below are a few examples of what certain toxic foods can do to birds.

Salt

Salt consumption is dangerous for parrots, even in small amounts.

If your parrot ingests salt, it can lead to:

• Extreme thirst

• Kidney failure

• And possibly death

Make sure your bird can’t access any salty chips or popcorn.

Chocolate

I’m sure you’ve heard of the fact that chocolate kills dogs, well, it’s not any different with birds.

Chocolate has the ability to do lots of terrible things to your bird, including death.

• Seizures

• Tremors

• Diarrhea

• Increased heart rate (bad for birds)

• Vomiting

These horrible things can happen to your bird if they consume chocolate.

If you’ve been touching chocolate, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before interacting with your bird.

Only a little bit of chocolate can have dire consequences.

Raw Meat

Eating raw meat will affect parrots similar to how it affects humans, which isn’t good.

Harmful bacteria, such as salmonella and yersinia, can be transmitted to parrots by eating raw or undercooked meats.

These bacterias can lead to seizures and death in parrots.

Ensure that any meat you serve to your parrot is properly cooked.

Conclusion

You should never feed food to your parrots unless you know for certain that it’s not toxic.

Fortunately, there are emergency treatments avian vets can provide to birds if they accidentally eat some toxic food.

However, since most toxins affect parrots fairly quickly, you would need to hurry to the vet.

Chocolate is one of the few toxic foods that take its effect almost immediately.

I’m not trying to scare you here, but you often have a very small opportunity to get medical help when your parrot consumes something like chocolate.

Especially if they ate a large quantity while you weren’t looking.

Please view the following articles to ensure you only feed safe foods:

Full List Of Safe Vegetables For Parrots

Full List Of Safe Fruits For Parrots

If you discover that one of your parrots has eaten some toxic food, take them to a vet immediately.

Sources

• https://petkeen.com/can-parrots-eat-meat/
• https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foods-linked-illness.html
• https://zupreem.com/avian/toxic-foods-your-bird-should-never-eat/
• https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/foods-toxic-pet-birds/